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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — to come from
  6. drill — army training
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chip — for betting
  14. drill — a practice
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. drill — the tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. race — humankind
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. race — the arms race
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. race — a contest
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com